Tray receptacle apron bib garment

ABSTRACT

An outer garment is disclosed that includes an upper portion having upper portion pliant edges and two neck end portions to secure the upper portion to a user&#39;s neck; and a lower portion joined to the upper portion. The lower portion includes pliant lower portion edges coupled to the upper portion pliant edges; a pliant support mesh/grid covering a rectangular area defined by the lower portion edges; and an edge joining fastener or strap mechanism/system to secure two adjacent lower portion edges together. The outer garment includes a three-dimensional tray/receptacle that is formed when the lower edges are joined together by hook-and-loop fasteners.

PRIORITY

The present application is a continuation of, and claims priority to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/269,542, filed Oct. 7, 2011, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to the use of protective wear combined with functional accessories such as aprons and bibs as well as trays and receptacles or containers. Aprons and cloaks are commonly used as outer protective garments that cover primarily the front of the body. They are commonly worn to protect clothes from damage. At times users have also worn them to protect their clothing from soiling by food or drink inside a car, mainly bib aprons. However bib aprons alone do not address other problems associated with food and drink consumption in a vehicle, such as lack of easy access to food and food items displacement.

However, spillage of food and drink inside a vehicle is an occasionally expected, if undesirable, byproduct of eating/drinking and driving or commuting combination. Perhaps worse though, is the possibility of spillage on one's clothing during a commute to work, with the resulting need to wear stained or soiled clothing for the entire workday. Depending upon the nature of the clothing, it may require dry cleaning rather than home laundering, with costs easily exceeding the cost of the meal purchased.

As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,968, eating and drinking in one's car while traveling has become ever more popular, as people continually seek ways to save time while performing various tasks necessary to daily life. This is especially true of many commuters, who will often skip breakfast at home, stop at a fast food outlet on their way to work, and have their breakfast during the remainder of their drive to work. Many car-pooling drivers and passengers routinely use this method of having their breakfast. The use of convenience stores, fast food outlets, and other establishments for lunch meals and evening meals by commuters and others with busy schedules, is also common in today's culture. Auto manufacturers have come to realize the popularity of eating and drinking while driving, and accordingly virtually all cars manufactured today are available with cup holders and the like to assist the motorist. The '968 invention solves this problem with an apron preferably formed of a relatively thin sheet of polyethylene plastic or other material (e. g., coated paper or fabric), in order to be impervious to liquid and other spills. However, this apron cannot serve as a tray where food items can rest, and the apron does not provide easy access to food and other objects in the tray.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,496,970 discloses a bib or carrying receptacle that prevents soiling and guides crumbs and /or food debris into a box or pouch. However, the bib/carrying receptacle is designed to be disposable and therefore the pouch or box is not sturdy enough to act as a container that secures food items in place. Moreover, the receptacle portion does not act as a platform where food items can rest and be accessed readily. Moreover, the pouch is not moldable and therefore cannot be adjusted to hold in place and secure different sized items.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, an outer garment includes:

-   -   a. an upper portion having upper portion pliant edges and two         neck end portions to secure the upper portion to a user's neck;         and     -   b. a lower portion joined to the upper portion, the lower         portion including         -   i. pliant lower portion edges coupled to the upper portion             pliant edges;         -   ii. a pliant support mesh or grid covering an area defined             by the lower portion edges; and         -   iii. an edge-joining fastener to secure two adjacent lower             portion edges together.

In another embodiment, a method to protect clothing from soiling includes:

-   -   wearing an outer garment having an upper portion having upper         portion pliant edges and two neck end portions to secure the         upper portion to a user's neck; and a lower portion joined to         the upper portion, the lower portion including pliant lower         portion edges coupled to the upper portion pliant edges; a         pliant support mesh or grid covering an area defined by the         lower portion edges; and an edge-joining fastener to secure two         adjacent lower portion edges together; and     -   forming a three-dimensional open ended container by securing         adjacent lower portion edges together.

In yet another embodiment, an outer garment includes:

-   -   an upper portion including:     -   upper portion pliant edges;     -   a pocket positioned on the upper portion to store one or more         items; and two neck end portions to secure the upper portion to         a user's neck; and a lower portion joined to the upper portion,         the lower portion including pliant lower portion edges coupled         to the upper portion pliant edges; a pliant support mesh         covering an area defined by the lower portion edges;     -   a first edge-joining fastener to secure two adjacent lower         portion edges together; and     -   a second edge joining fastener to secure two adjacent lower         portion edges together,     -   wherein the first and second joining fasteners form a three         dimensional food receptacle region.

Implementations of the above embodiments can include one or more of the following: the pliant support mesh comprises wires inserted into wire receptacles formed on the lower portion and wherein the pliant edges include wires inserted into wire receptacles. The neck end portions are secured by a button, hook-and-loop, or a clip. One or more receptacles on the lower portion can be formed to receive a toy or utensil. The upper and lower portions are foldable for storage. A pocket can be positioned on the upper portion to store one or more items. A second edge joining fastener can secure the other two adjacent lower portion edges together. The pliant support mesh can include wires inserted into wire receptacles formed on the lower portion and wherein the pliant edges comprise wires inserted into wire receptacles, wherein the wires allow the pliant support mesh to be molded by the user to form a user defined three-dimensional shape. One or more zippered pouches can be positioned on the lower portion to store one or more objects therein and fasteners can be positioned on the lower portion to attach one or more objects. The user can change the shape of the three-dimensional open-ended container by adjusting the pliant edges. The user can place food in the open container and eat food in a confined space such as a vehicle.

Advantages of the garment may include one or more of the following. The above garment can be used as protective wear and it combines functional accessories such as aprons and bibs with other functional accessories such as trays and receptacles or containers. The garment can be used by drivers and passengers in a car to protect their clothing and car seats from soiling, to hold food items in place, and to provide easy access to food items and other objects. The garment can also be used by children traveling on a car seat to protect their clothing and seats from soiling, to hold toys and/or other objects securely in place, to provide easy access to said objects and/or toys, and to act as a platform where children can play with said objects and/or toys.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, exemplify embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain and illustrate principles of the invention and not to limit the claimed invention thereto. The drawings are intended to illustrate major features of the exemplary embodiments in a diagrammatic manner. The drawings are not intended to depict every feature of actual embodiments nor relative dimensions of the depicted elements, and are not drawn to scale. Note also that reference symbols or names are used in the Figures to indicate certain aspects or features shown therein, with reference symbols common to more than one Figure indicating like components, aspects or features shown therein.

FIG. 1 illustrates one exemplary outer garment illustrating the components that make up the preferred embodiments and related elements.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary perspective view of FIG. 1 during use.

FIG. 3 illustrates exemplary supporting structures for the garment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates another exemplary garment for a child.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIG. 1, one embodiment of a protective outer garment 10 consists of an upper portion “apron bib” 20, and a lower portion “tray receptacle” 60. The garment is attached to a user's upper body by securing two tip ends 30 together around the user's neck using any suitable means including a snap button. The apron bib portion has pliant edges 40 that can be molded in order to guide crumbs or other loose food particles into the receptacle portion of the garment. In one embodiment, the pliant edges 40 are wire-filled. Thus, the pliant edges 40 can be easily bent and are easily modified; adaptable; flexible so that the edges can yield readily to influence by the user and thus become compliant with the user's needs. In one embodiment, the moldable lower tray receptacle portion 60 is made from fabric sheets sewn together and supported by a pliant grid of mesh having horizontal wire strips 80 and vertical wire strips 100. The pliant grid includes vertical and horizontal water resistant plastic-covered wire strips. The outer garment of FIG. 1 is shown fully extended with the edges resting flat and thus showing how it can be conveniently folded for compact storage. In one embodiment, fastener edges 90 are positioned on the lowest right and left cells of the grid, allow the flat lower portion of the garment to be converted into a 3-dimensional tray receptacle by joining them together. Fasteners 70 can be used to attach smaller cups or objects.

The fasteners described above may be so-called hook-and-loop fasteners. Hook-and-loop fasteners consist of two components: typically, two lineal fabric strips (or, alternatively, round “dots” or squares) which are attached (e.g., sewn, adhered, etc.) to the opposing surfaces to be fastened. The first component features tiny hooks; the second features even smaller and “hairier” loops. When the two faces are pressed together, the hooks catch in the loops and the two pieces fasten or bind temporarily. When separated, by pulling or peeling the two surfaces apart, the strips make a distinctive “ripping” sound.

In one embodiment, the outer garment forms a bib garment that enables drivers and passengers in a car to protect their clothing and car seats from soilure, to hold food items in place and to provide easy access to food items and other objects. The drivers and passengers' clothing is protected by the upper ‘apron bib’ portion of this hybrid garment, no different than other apron bibs. However, the lower ‘receptacle tray’ portion, holds food items in place making them easily accessible and preventing distractions as well as potential dangerous situations stemming from those distractions. Additionally, the moldable receptacle tray is also suitable for keeping other objects in place, such as food condiments and other non-food items like napkins, notes, cell phones, etc. Attaching hook-and-loop covered small cups, receptacles or containers to the hook-and-loop strips on opposite sides of the grid (70) and filling them up provides an even more convenient way of accessing condiments.

Although the preferred embodiment was conceived primarily for use by drivers and passengers in a car, the instant outer garment can easily be used by other people, for example, at sporting events, outdoor concerts, picnics, as well as travelers using other means of transportation such as trains, boats, and buses.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary perspective view of FIG. 1 during use. In FIG. 2, the invention provides a method to protect clothing from soilure when the user wears the outer garment 10 having upper portion pliant edges 40A-40B and two neck end portions 30A-30B to secure the upper portion to a user's neck. As further illustrated in FIG. 2, the garment includes the lower portion 60 joined to the upper portion 20, the lower portion 60 including pliant lower portion edges 41A- 41D coupled to the upper portion pliant edges 40A-40B. A pliant support mesh covers an area defined by the lower portion edges 41A-41D. The garment also includes a plurality of edge joining fasteners (strap mechanisms/systems) 130 to secure two adjacent lower portion edges together. The strap 130 includes hook-and-loop portions 90A-90B so that the hook-and-loop edges are simply squeezed together to form the base to secure the edges together. The user can form a three-dimensional open-ended rectangular container (basin) by securing the joining fasteners 130 of adjacent lower portion edges together. The user can place food in the open container and eat food in a confined space such as the inside of a vehicle.

Turning now to FIG. 3, more details on the mesh/grid support structure 110 is shown. In the mesh or grid, plastic-covered strips of wire 80 and 100 are positioned between two leaves or panes of fabric 105, 107 that, when put together, constitute the 3D basin or 3D tray-receptacle portion of the garment. In one embodiment, the fabric panes are first sewn together with rows of stitches 111 leaving tiny vertical and horizontal ‘canals’ 112. After the sewing is done, the wire is inserted through the ‘canals’ 112. Lastly the edges are sewn again to trap the wire inside the canals. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, fastener edges 90 are positioned on the lowest right and left cells of the grid, allow the flat lower portion of the garment to be converted into a 3D tray receptacle by joining them together.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary perspective view of a child garment. The child garment includes a chest pocket 52. One or more zippered pockets 200A-200B can be sewn to the tray/receptacle portion of the garment to store utensils, crayons, toys or other objects. Additionally, a hook-and-loop strip 210A allows the garment to securely attach another object such as a bowl 212 with a corresponding hook-and-loop strip 210B.

One embodiment of the invention is made of a combination of permeable and impermeable fabrics such as cotton, polyester, polyurethane laminated polyester (PUL fabric) plastic fabric, and water-resistant wire, zippers and hook-and-loop. Additional benefits to one embodiment of the invention are: In case of tray receptacle apron bib garment designed especially for kids, the tray portion of the invention can be extremely useful in holding objects such as toys, cards, puzzles, and Legos in place and keeping them from flying off kid's reach and thus keeping kids happy, a very big plus for parents. Furthermore, the kids' garment can contain zipper pockets where toys and other useful objects can be stowed away and reused the next time children ride in the car.

The outer garment is designed to be functional and durable. It is machine-washable and therefore it can be re-used. It is intended to be made of eco-friendly fabrics capable of being recycled thus aligning itself with environmentally safe practices and sustainable business models. Embodiments of the outer garments can provide the following features:

-   -   1) A means of wearing and/or using the outer garment to protect         the clothing of drivers and passengers from soilure by food and         beverage inside a car;     -   2) A means of wearing and/or using the outer garment to protect         car seats from soilure by food and beverage;     -   3) A means of wearing and/or using the outer garment to provide         easy access to food items and other objects to drivers and         passengers inside a car;     -   4) A means of wearing and/or using outer garment to hold food         items or other objects in place, preventing said items from         being displaced and thus preventing drivers and passengers from         being distracted;     -   5) In the case of kids, a means of wearing and I or using the         outer garment to hold toys or objects of entertainment such as         puzzles, Legos, books, coloring notebooks, crayons, etc.         securely in place and serve as a playing platform;     -   6) In the case of kids, a means of wearing and/or using the         outer garment to stow away important, useful items inside zipper         pockets so that they can be easily retrieved and reused on         future car-rides.     -   7) A means of wearing and or using outer garment by travelers         wishing to enjoy a meal in a more practical, convenient way         while traveling by plane, train, bus and other means of         transportation.     -   8) A means of wearing and or using outer garment by spectators         wishing to enjoy a meal in a more practical, convenient way         while attending sporting events, stadium concerts, and outdoor         events.

In conclusion, herein is presented a hybrid bib for safeguarding clothing and asset protection of a user from spills, stains, or bums, while eating, drinking, or smoking. The bib is particularly useful when traveling or at outdoor events or at parks. The hybrid bib can also hold and provide easy access to food and other items in addition to safeguarding clothing.

The invention is illustrated by example in the drawing figures, and throughout the written description. It should be understood that numerous variations are possible, while adhering to the inventive concept. Such variations are contemplated as being a part of the present invention.

The foregoing illustrates the preferred embodiments and broadly states the methodologies that may be used in order to enable drivers, passengers and people in general to have a more pleasant, safe and clean experience while consuming food or beverage items inside a vehicle or other means of transportation, in confined spaces such as sports arenas and while being outdoors. And in the case of kids, the system enables them to have a more pleasant experience by keeping objects of entertainment in place and within easy reach.

While there have been described above the principles of the present invention in conjunction with specific materials and deployment scenarios, it is to be clearly understood that the foregoing description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of the invention. Particularly, it is recognized that the teachings of the foregoing disclosure will suggest other modifications to those persons skilled in the relevant art. Such modifications may involve other features which are already known per se and which may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein. Although claims have been formulated in this application to particular combinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure herein also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed either explicitly or implicitly or any generalization or modification thereof which would be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art, whether or not such relates to the same invention as presently claimed in any claim and whether or not it mitigates any or all of the same technical problems as confronted by the present invention. The applicants hereby reserve the right to formulate new claims to such features and/or combinations of such features during the prosecution of the present application or of any further application derived therefrom. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A tray comprising: a first substantially rectangular layer of flexible water-resistant material, a second substantially rectangular layer of flexible material, a third substantially rectangular layer of pliant moldable wire mesh, said third layer being positioned between said first and second layers with all said layers being substantially the same size and positioned substantially coextensive with each other, said layers having a central portion and a peripheral portion surrounding said central portion, and a fastener positioned at at least two corners of one of said first and second layers, said fasteners being configured to hold at least a portion of said peripheral portion in a substantially perpendicular relation to said central portion to form a three dimensional structure.
 2. A tray according to claim 1 wherein said first and second layers include a plurality of channels formed therebetween confining said wire mesh.
 3. A tray according to claim 1 wherein said third layer comprises a matrix of wires substantially perpendicular to each other.
 4. A tray according to claim 3 wherein said wires are coated with plastic. 